46th Amstel Gold Race (The maze) - Sunday April 17, 2011

[greenedge]

Found out what happened to Hesjedal. He had stomach pains according to CN. Hopefully he can get better.

 

[greenedge]

They are still going well i agree. Just not as good as last yr. What are they comng on the rankings?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

They are still going well i agree. Just not as good as last yr. What are they comng on the rankings?

better than last year at this point (3rd world tour)

 

[red_flanders]

It has become a bit formulaic. Elimination race til the Eyserbosweg. Selection there. Attacks (in a good year). Keutenberg. Final selection. Attacks by people who won't win the sprint.

Basically 30 km worth watching (and yes, the previous 230 are very important).

Hopefully apart from Rabo the rest wont wait to be slaughtered by Gilbert next year

Full agreement. Snore-fest until 20 k.

 

[theyoungest]

Thanks. They said in the article though that he was near the front and would not do any work to chase schleck down along with Oscar and Gesink. Liked how rabobank had earlier controlled the race and tried to be attacking with Barredo. Tjangilli and Tankink also did good work

Why don't Cyclingnews check the results list before writing an article? They mention the name Luis Leon repeatedly as being in the final selection... don't they think it's strange that he doesn't appear in the top-20? Of course it was Martens rather than Lulu.

 

[greatking88]

I was thinking the same but no, he didnt. This race seems to have been for RS what PR is for Euskatel. Deignan was their leader. Theyll have a better team for FW and LBL. I really hope to see Horner do well in both.

Hermans was their leader not Deignan

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Full agreement. Snore-fest until 20 k.

It's not like the Tour the flanders where there are hundreds of kilometers of flat and much easy parts in between..
so basically many of the riders can't attack and if they do, they blow themselves up.

the race is basically too hard. They should drop a hill or 20 out of the race if you want attacks

 

[hrotha]

Why don't Cyclingnews check the results list before writing an article? They mention the name Luis Leon repeatedly as being in the final selection... don't they think it's strange that he doesn't appear in the top-20? Of course it was Martens rather than Lulu.

To be fair, at one point the rider in question gave Gesink a push, so it was fair to assume it was Luisle.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

No it isn't.

They should learn to recognize riders, certainly if you're working for the 'worlds biggest cycling site'

I say right here I and many others here can do a better job than those guys. But ok.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

On a finish like this, there isn't even a competition....

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

He's simply the best.
Better than all the rest.

 

[hrotha]

No it isn't.

They should learn to recognize riders, certainly if you're working for the 'worlds biggest cycling site'

I say right here I and many others here can do a better job than those guys. But ok.

I think you left your sense of humour at the Cauberg.

 

[The Hitch]

It's not like the Tour the flanders where there are hundreds of kilometers of flat and much easy parts in between..
so basically many of the riders can't attack and if they do, they blow themselves up.

the race is basically too hard. They should drop a hill or 20 out of the race if you want attacks

You keep saying its so hard. But hold on a second.

(to the tune of a song that played here about 4 years ago)

Whats that coming over the hill, is it a Freire,



is it a




FREIRE!!!!.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes and Yes. Just because its Cancellara (whether you dont like him, or believe he is superman or whatever) doesnt make 50km on the front easy and just because Gilbert isnt called Fabian doesnt make a 1km pull anywhere near as impressive.

1. Canc would not have to pull for 50km. Erroneous argument.
2. If Canc had wanted to close down that 25 second gap, he could have (In well under 50km)
3. If Canc had closed down the gap instead of whining like a child that has to eat onions, he would have won the race. (as evidenced by his finish)
4. My point is not about the "pull," it is about the attitude. (which is the difference between one winning and one losing)
5. If you are going to argue a point that I made, argue the point I made, and not the one you want me to have made that serves the narrative you want to create
6. Understand?

 

[red_flanders]

It's not like the Tour the flanders where there are hundreds of kilometers of flat and much easy parts in between..
so basically many of the riders can't attack and if they do, they blow themselves up.

the race is basically too hard. They should drop a hill or 20 out of the race if you want attacks

Not sure why you keep comparing the race with Flanders, but one need only go back to last year, same winner, to see a much more attacking finale. Funny thing is, those who ride Flanders say the "easy parts" between the hills are the hardest part of the race.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGwLKjCys2k

One need only have watched the race finish with small groups many, many times in the past to see that what you're saying is simply wrong.

It would be like saying no one attacks in Roubaix because it's too hard.

 

[theyoungest]

To be fair, at one point the rider in question gave Gesink a push, so it was fair to assume it was Luisle.

That's why Gesink didn't sprint for the win: he knew he'd be DQed anyway

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Those who said Gilbert had no competition in De Brabantse Pijl, Gilbert, Leukemans & Hoogerland (1,2&4 in BP) ended up in front of Cunego, Vino,...

 

[cobblehead]

great win by Gilbert, this proves his claim that as long as valverde isn't racing, there's no one that can beat him on a finish like that...

Also a great team effort by Omega Pharma, team took a lot of (deserved) heat in the past for not being strong enough to support their topriders but today they proved otherwise..

strong ride by Hermans and Leukemans too, big up for them!

classic spring turning into the best for the belgians in a few years with the ronde, Paris-Roubaix, Amstel, Gent-Wevelgem, Brabantse Pijl and Dwars door Vlaanderen in the pocket...

 

[greenedge]

It's not like the Tour the flanders where there are hundreds of kilometers of flat and much easy parts in between..
so basically many of the riders can't attack and if they do, they blow themselves up.

the race is basically too hard. They should drop a hill or 20 out of the race if you want attacks

It would be interesting to have a rider like Contador ride it, to see if he could maybe attack on the Cauberg succesfully. Didn't LA used to ride to win this race and did in 1996. Point of this is to ask what is the type of rider that will win this race?

Sounded very ignorant but just want a thorough response drawn from every winner over last like 20 yrs. Thx

 

[boomcie]

great win by Gilbert, this proves his claim that as long as valverde isn't racing, there's no one that can beat him on a finish like that...

Also a great team effort by Omega Pharma, team took a lot of (deserved) heat in the past for not being strong enough to support their topriders but today they proved otherwise..

strong ride by Hermans and Leukemans too, big up for them!

classic spring turning into the best for the belgians in a few years with the ronde, Paris-Roubaix, Amstel, Gent-Wevelgem, Brabantse Pijl and Dwars door Vlaanderen in the pocket...

I you're going to include de Brabantse Pijl and Dwars door Vlaanderen, then also mention de Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde.


Edit:
About Gilbert: raising hell isn't easy.

 

[Dutchsmurf]

It would be interesting to have a rider like Contador ride it, to see if he could maybe attack on the Cauberg succesfully. Didn't LA used to ride to win this race and did in 1996. Point of this is to ask what is the type of rider that will win this race?

Sounded very ignorant but just want a thorough response drawn from every winner over last like 20 yrs. Thx

Back when LA won it they didn't finish on the Cauberg. The finish there is quite recent, first time in 2003.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

I you're going to include de Brabantse Pijl and Dwars door Vlaanderen, then also mention de Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde.


Edit:
About Gilbert: raising hell isn't easy.

Nice prono

 

[Mambo95]

Didn't LA used to ride to win this race and did in 1996. Point of this is to ask what is the type of rider that will win this race?

Armstrong never won Amstel. He came second twice, in 1999 (beaten by Michael Boogerd) and 2001 (beaten by Erik Dekker). Hw won Fleche Wallonne in 1996.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

... Gilbert rides like a champion, and I believe Canc rides like a whiny diva.

Cancellara undoubtedly threw his toys out of the pram in a spectacularly undignified way. It must have given the other teams a huge lift to see him do it.

But I think it was a reaction of frustration to being the strongest rider in the race with an utterly useless team. Whereas Gilbert's team did an outstanding job of putting him in the position to win the AGR, Cancellara's did nothing to help him in either cobbled classic. And in both races he was undone by good rival team tactics while being the overwhelming favourite, rather than his own lack of ability or effort.

I saw Cancellara's little tantrum as evidence that he couldn't see how to both catch Van Summeren and drop Hushovd. Gilbert was also an overwhelming favourite but just had to get to the finale near the head of the race and unleash his finishing kick. His team made sure that happened.

Having watched Lotto let Greipel down for the first quarter of the season, it was something of a shock to see them dominate a race so effectively.

It will be interesting to see if Gilbert gets isolated in the front group in Liège–Bastogne–Liège, whether anyone would be prepared to close down attacks, or would they all just sit on and make him do the chasing down.

 

[boomcie]

Belgium leading UCI WorldTour Ranking after Gold Race.

Cool.